Bicycle



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. BICYCLE. -11o. 571,397. f Patented Nov. 17,1896.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

.IOIIN D. RIGGS, OF IIIAW'ATI-IA, KANSAS.

BICYCLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 571,397, dated November17, 1896. l

Application filed June24,`1895. Serial No. 558,798. (No model.) 4

To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN D. RIGGS, a citizen of the United States,residing at I-Iiawatha, in the county of Brown and State of Kansas, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Bicycles, of which thefollowing is a speciiication.

My invention relates more particularly to the adjustment of thehandle-bars in the stem in addition to the adjustment of the stem in thehead; and it consists in forming suitable recesses in the handle-barwhere it passes through the socket formed for it in the stem and fittinga key or pin in the recess. The pin is inserted through the socket fromeither side, according to the adjustment required, as hereinaftersetforth.

In order that .my invention may be fully understood, I will proceed todescribe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure l is a detail view taken on the line -g/ y, Fig. 5, partly insection, and showin g one adjustment of the handle-bar. Figs. 2, 3, and4 are views similar to Fig. l and showing various adjustments of thehandle-bar; and Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view taken on the line cce, Fig. l.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents a portion of the head and frameof a bicycle; 2, the handle-bar stem; 9, the handle-bar proper, and 3the socket formed at the top of the stem through which the handle-bar ispassed. The socket is formed with a cylindrical opening 4, through whicha key or pin is passed, and` the opening 4 in the socket partiallyintersects the larger opening through which the handle-bar 9 passes. Thepin or key 5 is formed cylindrical over most of its surface to snuglyfitthe opening 4 in the socket, and on one side it is made tapering and to4fit the bottom of the recesses 7, formed in the handle-bar 9, and ithas a smaller .threaded end for the nut 8. The tapering side 6 of thepin 5is preferably flat to fit against the flat-bottomed recesses 7, butmay be slightly rounded and fit a rounded bottom of the recesses 7. Therecesses 7 are formed, preferably, in cross-section, as shown 1n Fig. 5,so that when the key or pin is placed 1n them and tightened by anymeans, as

shown at 8, there will be no movement of the handle-bar in the socket.

l0 represents the grips or handles.

The handle-bar 9 is cylindrical at the central portion when it lits intothe socket 3, has two recesses 7 eut into this cylindrical portion, asshown, and has end portions to either side of socket 3, slightly smallerin diameter and preferably tapering toward the ends and bent in acompound curve, so that the center line of the grips lies in a planebelow or above the socket 3.

In operation the handle-bar is turned to the desired position and thekey or pin 5 inserted through the opening 4 and one of the recesses 7and securely drawn into place by the nut 8 on threaded end.

In the drawings I have shown the handlel bar formed with two recesses 7on opposite sides. Other recesses might be made, but unless the recessesall be made so small as to be of little use the additional recesseswould be in such a position as to be useless. The four positions shownare altered in the following manner: In Fig. l the taper-pin is insertedfrom the back, which, with the curve of the handle-barup, gives thehighest position. Removing the taper pin or key and inserting it fromthe front side of the socket gives a lower position of the grips l0.Removing the taper pin or key and revolving the handlebar in the socketthrough about half a revolution and then revolving the stem in the headthrough a half-revolution and inserting the taper pin or key from theback the position shown in Fig. 3 is attained. By removing the key andinserting it from the front the position shown in Fig. 4 is attained. Ifmore or less adjustment is wanted between positions shown in Figs. l and2, a taper pin or key, with more or less taper, is used. It' more orless adjustment is wanted between positions, as shown in Fig. l, raisedand, as shown in Fig. 3, drop, more or less bend is given to thehandle-bar. j

It will be seen that by selecting a suitable curve for the handle-barand by providing one or more suitable taper-keys quite a range ofpositions may beattained.

The stem 2 has vertical adjustment in the head in usual manner.

I clailnl. The combination of a supporting-stem Which is adapted to beturned and having a socket, a handle-bar curved in two planes adapted tobe passed through the stein and loosely fitting therein, an openingformed in the socket and recesses formed in the handlebar, and atapering pin adapted to enter the opening on either side of the socketand to iit in the recesses with its tapering side bearing against thehandle-bar so that by inserting the pin through either side of thesocket into the opening and turning the stein the handlebar may beadjusted to different positions,Y substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination With the handle-bar of a bicycle, the stem forsupportingit, a socket formed on said steni and having the handlebarloosely fitting therein, a suitable opening formed in the socket andsuitable recesses formed in the handle-bar at that point where it passesthrough the socket, and a removable key or pin formed with a taperingside adapted to be inserted in said opening and one of the recessesthrough either end of the said opening in the socket with the taperingside bearing against the handle-bar whereby the position of thehandle-bar may be changed, substantially as shown and described.

JOHN D. RIGGS. lVitnesses:

H. J. ATEN, SOPHIA MEYER.

